What is the Deal with Being Super Cheap?

Aunt Bea said:
I’m fine with being frugal and scrimping on boring day to day necessities in order to splurge a little.

I do get upset when I see people taking advantage of situations or people in order to save a few dollars.

Things like slipping napkins and sugar packets or complimentary food into your purse, grazing on the grapes and berries in the produce section of the supermarket isn’t being frugal it’s just plain theft.
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I've been out to eat with people who do that - taking extra packages of ketchup, etc. at Wendy's.

But I'm going to expand on this a bit, even knowing the risk that this may go over like a lead balloon. There's one woman in our group that orders the cheapest thing on the menu and no matter how small her order is, she only eats half, then takes the other half home, in her words, "for the next day." I just won't do that. Once I've eaten off something, it has bacteria on it, then I'm taking it home so the germs can grow? No. If I don't want it all, I just leave what's left.
 

MACKTEXAS said:
I've been out to eat with people who do that - taking extra packages of ketchup, etc. at Wendy's.

But I'm going to expand on this a bit, even knowing the risk that this may go over like a lead balloon. There's one woman in our group that orders the cheapest thing on the menu and no matter how small her order is, she only eats half, then takes the other half home, in her words, "for the next day." I just won't do that. Once I've eaten off something, it has bacteria on it, then I'm taking it home so the germs can grow? No. If I don't want it all, I just leave what's left.
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I'm bad about that like your friend. I tend to get filled up on the breads and salads that usually comes with a meal, I get full and end up taking my main meal home because I don't want to obviously waste it. Also...the main meal is what the costly part of the meal is. It's a bad habit, but I love bread and salad. The next response would be to just order a salad and bread which would be much cheaper anyway, my response would be that I actually go out to eat the main course because it's usually something I wouldn't fix at home.
 
TeePee said:
I'm bad about that like your friend. I tend to get filled up on the breads and salads that usually comes with a meal, I get full and end up taking my main meal home because I don't want to obviously waste it. Also...the main meal is what the costly part of the meal is. It's a bad habit, but I love bread and salad. The next response would be to just order a salad and bread which would be much cheaper anyway, my response would be that I actually go out to eat the main course because it's usually something I wouldn't fix at home.
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Remember, in my earlier post I said: "this may go over like a lead balloon," so I knew there would be others who see things differently from me. ;)

Seldom do I eat out and immediately go directly home, so in addition to the fact that my fork I have been using to eat with has already touched the food, leaving bacteria on it, I'm also driving around leaving food in the car as I make other stops.

I still remember one Thanksgiving, eating out at Cracker Barrel with a couple I know. The food was wonderful. I ate what I wanted and left the rest. Both of them took half their food home to have the next day, and both got sick; called me and asked if I was sick. [No] That probably doesn't normally happen, but it's not worth taking a chance to me. So, to each his own.

I probably won't have any concern about this much longer, since I'm eating out less and less as prices go higher and higher. People tell me I should just enjoy something I like now and then and not worry about the price. This is true, and I do enjoy things I like, but I can get more bang for my buck when I spend it on a whole pecan pie for $8.00 at the grocery store, or 2 large pieces of fried fish at the deli, or a carton of caramel ice cream at Braums for $4.49, instead of spending $19.60 at IHOP for one omelette and hashbrowns + a glass of water, then a tip on top of that.
 

MACKTEXAS said:
I've been out to eat with people who do that - taking extra packages of ketchup, etc. at Wendy's.

But I'm going to expand on this a bit, even knowing the risk that this may go over like a lead balloon. There's one woman in our group that orders the cheapest thing on the menu and no matter how small her order is, she only eats half, then takes the other half home, in her words, "for the next day." I just won't do that. Once I've eaten off something, it has bacteria on it, then I'm taking it home so the germs can grow? No. If I don't want it all, I just leave what's left.
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I love me a doggie bag, IMO it’s not much different than leftovers at home.

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MACKTEXAS said:
Remember, in my earlier post I said: "this may go over like a lead balloon," so I knew there would be others who see things differently from me. ;)

Seldom do I eat out and immediately go directly home, so in addition to the fact that my fork I have been using to eat with has already touched the food, leaving bacteria on it, I'm also driving around leaving food in the car as I make other stops.

I still remember one Thanksgiving, eating out at Cracker Barrel with a couple I know. The food was wonderful. I ate what I wanted and left the rest. Both of them took half their food home to have the next day, and both got sick; called me and asked if I was sick. [No] That probably doesn't normally happen, but it's not worth taking a chance to me. So, to each his own.

I probably won't have any concern about this much longer, since I'm eating out less and less as prices go higher and higher. People tell me I should just enjoy something I like now and then and not worry about the price. This is true, and I do enjoy things I like, but I can get more bang for my buck when I spend it on a whole pecan pie for $8.00 at the grocery store, or 2 large pieces of fried fish at the deli, or a carton of caramel ice cream at Braums for $4.49, instead of spending $19.60 at IHOP for one omelette and hashbrowns + a glass of water, then a tip on top of that.
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I prefer eating at home because I'm partial to my cooking and I love leftovers. I usually only eat out when I have friends over and I don't feel like cooking and cleaning up the mess. I'd rather spend my time with them.
 
TeePee said:
I prefer eating at home because I'm partial to my cooking and I love leftovers. I usually only eat out when I have friends over and I don't feel like cooking and cleaning up the mess. I'd rather spend my time with them.
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Yes, I will have leftovers at home. I often cook 2-3 times as much as I plan to eat. So the "leftovers" or "preplans" in this case, are dished up and refrigerated in advance, but nothing that is left on my plate that I have been eating from is saved for later.
 
Aunt Bea said:
Things like slipping napkins and sugar packets or complimentary food into your purse,
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well I take sugar packets. sometimes you buy a coffee and couple of sugar packets are on saucer to add if you want them. I dont have sugar but I take them home (actually to our club where we have a coffee machine and people can then use sugar packets instead of a sugar bowl)
Can't see how this is theft - no different taking them home to using them there, I have paid for them either way

I do sometimes take part of a pizza or similar home from a meal out - places here will often box it and then keep in their fridge till you go home and it is only 10 minute drive from anywhere in our small town to my home

Never been sick from doing this -and I and many other people do it.
 
I like to think of myself as frugal. Some probably think I am cheap. I grew up in a household where without some sort of collective self control we would of been on welfare. We certainly qualified. It taught me great budgeting skills. I say no a lot. I do not wash paper towels…I just never buy them. I shop thrift…but own several homes I paid cash for. This month is a brutal one for me…property taxes. So less than 100$ to last about the next 17 days. But we will eat like kings…have a comfy house…will camp three days next week with friends. It is a great situation to be in.
 
I always take home leftovers if I don’t eat my entire meal and enjoying not having to cook the next day. However, I always take them directly home and don’t leave them in the car because I am concerned about them not being refrigerated.

I am frugal about things that don’t matter that much to me so that I can spend on the things that do matter to me. Now that my kids are grown, I spend my money on taking great care of my pets. I buy them quality food and get them good veterinarian care.

Since they are small dogs, they need a dental every two years which means every year I’m paying for a dental for one of them. Those dentals range in price from 1-2K. I have taken some expensive vacations having gone to Europe, six different times and have taken six cruises. I only have so much money so I have to decide what my priorities are.
 
January said:
well I take sugar packets. sometimes you buy a coffee and couple of sugar packets are on saucer to add if you want them. I dont have sugar but I take them home (actually to our club where we have a coffee machine and people can then use sugar packets instead of a sugar bowl)
Can't see how this is theft - no different taking them home to using them there, I have paid for them either way

I do sometimes take part of a pizza or similar home from a meal out - places here will often box it and then keep in their fridge till you go home and it is only 10 minute drive from anywhere in our small town to my home

Never been sick from doing this -and I and many other people do it.
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When I get soup or salad in a restaurant and don't use the crackers that usually come with it, I'll take them home. If you don't, they're just going to give them to someone else. I wouldn't particularly want to have a waitress give me crackers that was taken off someone's dirty table.
 
I just read this story about Mitzi Perdue, the dual heiress (Perdue and Sheraton). She's worth $12 billion, but still shops in thrift stores, rides the subway, flies economy and lives in a modest apartment. I understand that she was brought up that way but....C'mon! She says she wants to stay connected to the real world, which I admit is admirable.
The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

As @Pepper pointed out, your mother may have had a mental issue, but she also may have grown up poor and was traumatized so much that she feared overspending (however irrational). I'm sorry it had such a negative impact on your life.
 
You betcha I take home leftovers, if I'm going straight home. My usual thing is to eat half of the meal and take home the rest for lunch the next day.

I was raised thrifty. I get whatever I really want, but you can be assured it'll be a bargain. I use coupons and senior discounts, too (but tip on what the amount would have been before the discount......I'm thrifty and frugal, but I'm not cheap...)
 
jujube said:
You betcha I take home leftovers, if I'm going straight home. My usual thing is to eat half of the meal and take home the rest for lunch the next day.

I was raised thrifty. I get whatever I really want, but you can be assured it'll be a bargain. I use coupons and senior discounts, too (but tip on what the amount would have been before the discount......I'm thrifty and frugal, but I'm not cheap...)
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Exactly!
 
Jules said:
If the weather is ok, I’m happy to take the rest of my meal home. Germs are no big deal; they’re mine to start with. As mentioned before in another thread, waste not - want not.
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I don't often hear anyone say that germs are no big deal, but we all make our own choices.

I asked AI, "Is it safe to save food I have eaten from with my fork and eat it later?" AI may not get everything right, but in this case, I tend to go with the answer I got:

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MACKTEXAS said:
I don't often hear anyone say that germs are no big deal, but we all make our own choices.

I asked AI, "Is it safe to save food I have eaten from with my fork and eat it later?" AI may not get everything right, but in this case, I tend to go with the answer I got:

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The part I would have highlighted is “should be refrigerated within two hours“. I’m probably home within 20 minutes. If it’s hot weather, before leaving home I toss an ice bag in the cooler I keep in the trunk or set it the front of the car in the AC.
 
Jules said:
The part I would have highlighted is “should be refrigerated within two hours“. I’m probably home within 20 minutes. If it’s hot weather, before leaving home I toss an ice bag in the cooler I keep in the trunk or set it the front of the car in the AC.
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If you're referring to my post #66 where the first part was highlighted in blue, I didn't do the highlighting. That was done by AI when answering my question.

As I have expressed in some of my posts from the past, this forum is for multiple opinions and perspectives. I am not here to change other people, nor will they change how I feel about this issue.
 
I have been accused of being a cheapskate. If so, I wear that badge proudly. Let me explain.
Being dirt poor can make you appreciate the value of a dollar.

For example... when we were first married, we bought a 10x50 trailer in Vermont. Trailer cost $100 mo., land rent, (we didn't own the land), $75 mo. food cost about $30 mo. Kerosene, 5 gal @ 36 per gallon, so $7.20 mo. That made the Total monthly... $212.20.

Now, it's the dead of winter in Vt and I've been layed off and I'm getting $55 a week unemployment. ($220 a month). If my food bill goes up (as it did on occasion), or other unexpected expenses happen, I don't have a lot of wiggle room.

Now, here's the kicker... I don't have a running car at the time, so, every Friday, I'd have to take my 5 gallon jerry can and walk the 1st mile of dirt road down to the highway and hitch hike over the 18 miles to the nearest city and unemployment office. (in a New England winter). Plus, you had a small book and every week, you had to go around and try to find work and at least 3 business owners had to sign that little book. (remember, the population then was slightly under 10,000, so, hard to find 3 different business's each week). Then, march back over to the unemployment office where some hatchet faced old lady handed you the money looking like it came out of her pocket.

Then, it was off to buy food and fill up the jerry can with kerosene. (had to use it because regular fuel oil would jell as I had an outside tank). Then comes the joy of hitch hiking back over the mountain to get home.

I had to do this every week no matter what the weather, and sometimes, when it was bitter cold, in order to stay warm, I'd have to choose between heat and food. Heat would always win. I'd have to carry 2 fuel cans and skip the groceries. That meant shopping in the
small local general store where everything was over priced, meaning, a lot of times, we were eating potato's and not much else. (except maybe a deer I shot out of season). ;)

I still recall digging through the sofa hoping to find a little extra change to make life a little better. This kind of thing sticks with you forever. So call me cheap... I don't mind.


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I have always been very careful with food. Others in the house not so much. Once a woman who was staying with us cooked wonderful gourmet dinner. Then she left it out overnight. I did not have any. I know she was upset. As casual as the others were about food no one ever seemed to get sick.
 

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